Pile drivers including multiple hammers with common anvils

ABSTRACT

Piledrivers, each including a plurality of hammers and common anvil means with aligning pads between the hammers and the anvil means and with means for phasing the operation of the hammers, with means for compensating for the effects of unphased hammer operations, and combinations thereof.

United States Patent Inventors Charles L. Guild 90 Water St.. East Pron'dence, RJ. #2914; Willard B. Goodman, 5 Larkspur Drive, Bellville, 111. 62221 Appl. No. 759,172

Filed Sept. 1 l, 1968 Patented July 27, 1971 PILE DRIVERS INCLUDING MULTIPLE HAMMERS WITH COMMON ANVlLS Primary Examiner-James A. Leppink Attorney-Abbott Spear v ABSTRACT: Piledrivers, each including a plurality of hammers and common anvil means with aligning pads between the hammers and the anvil means and with means for phasing the operation of the hammers, with means for compensating for the effects of unphased hammer operations, and combinations 27 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 173/101, 173/131 Int. Cl E02d 7/00 Field of Search 173/51 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,030 12/1890 Wood 173/101 thereof.

PATENTED JUL27 19?: 5 9b 3 sum 2 BF 5 PATENTEU m2? 197! 3,595. 324

sum 5 0F 5 PILE DRIVERS INCLUDING MULTIPLE IIAMMERS WITH COMMON ANVILS Pile driving hammers, actuated by steam, air, or diesel, have long been used with satisfactory results in the installation of pilings of various sizes and types for foundations, docks, piers, and off-shore structures.

Present day requirements, particularly for off-shore operations, such as oil wells and mineral minings, are for the installation of pipe pilings for platforms and structures in depths of water up to 200 feet or more. These require piling lengths that may be, for example, as much as 1000 feet and with piling diameters up to or 6 feet.

At present, there is no single, commercially available, conventionaltype hammer that delivers sufficient energy to drive foundation pilings in the order of those to which reference has been made. It is the general objective of the present invention to provide piledrivers capable of meeting present day requirements by clustering individual hammers, that may be of any proven and reliable conventional-type, to act as a unit to meet any energy requirement. In order that individual hammers may be so clustered and operated effectively, it is necessary to provide for the coordination of their blows by way of phasing, by way of compensation for their effect if their blows are not simultaneous, or both.

In accordance with the present invention, this general objective is attained with piledrivers, each with anvil means ineluding a drivehead and each with at least two hammers with the axis of the anvil between them and with aligning pads, one pad for each hammer and seated on a part of the anvil means to receive hammer blows, each hammer including a part seated on the appropriate one of the pads, each pad and one of the parts in engagement therewith including complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex, and each pad and the other part in engagement therewith being transversely slidable relative to each other.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide anvil means in each of which the drivehead portion is a separate part with complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex.

Another objective of the invention is to provide anvil means in which pad supporting portions are movable relative thereto in opposite vertical directions if the hammer blows are not simultaneous, an objective attained by the two 'part anvil means just referred to in combination with the aligning pads, hammer, and anvil means combination first referred to.

Another objective of the invention is that of attaining the above referred to opposite vertical movements by means of a holder with a member pivotally supported by the holder at the axis of the anvil means with pad supporting portions at the ends of the member or by means of a holder to which the pad supporting portions are supported by a liquid body in the holder or which are parts of a common floating piston.

Other general objectives of the invention are directed to the phasing of the hammers with one objective being the provision of hammers with bounce chambers, the bounce chambers being in communication with each other; another objective being the provision of a piledriver with the hammers having mechanical connections between their rams or pistons; and yet another objective is to effect phasing by means of a common control of hammer operation of which one example is a pressure balancing port between the combustion chambers of diesel hammers and another is the control of the fuel supply for all hammers in response to the operation ofone of them.

While misalignment of the axis of a pile relative to that of the hammer has always been a potential problem, it becomes increasingly likely to occur with pile lengths in the order of those previously mentioned. Another objective of the present invention is, accordingly, to provide multiple hammer piledrivers including means that are self-adjusting to meet conditions of misalignment, an objective attained by providing mating concave-convex surfaces between portions of the anvil means or between the anvil means and an axial ram.

With drivers in accordance with the invention, the hammers may be operated simultaneously and, as the invention provides means for compensating for their effects if their operation is otherwise, they may be operated in a predetermined order. By way of example, if there are two or more clustered hammers, they may be operated successively or if there are four or other even numbered hammer clusters, they may be divided into units, each containing the same number of hammers, with the units operated as such in a predetermined order, and the units may be eccentric with respect to the pile axis or arranged diametrically with respect to the axis thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown embodiments of the invention illustrative of these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages.

ln the drawings:

FIG. I is a vertical section through a piledriver in which two diesel hammers are combined,

FlG. 2 is a section, taken approximately along the indicated lines 24 ofFlG. i,

FIG, 3 is a like view of another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines M of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section through the lower part of a piledriver in accordance with another embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 6 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines'6-6 of FlG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating yet another embodiment of the invention,

FlG. 8 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 88 of FlG. 7,

FlG.'9 is a view similar to FIGS. 5 and 7 but illustrating a piledriver in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FlG. 2 but illustrating the driver consisting ofa cluster offour hammers.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FlG. I, a piledriver is shown as consisting of a pair of generally indicated diesel hammers 20 clustered by means of upper and lower pairs of channel members 21 and 21A, respectively. An appropriate one of the hammers 10 is secured to each of the channel members and the channel members of each pair are marginally locked together. Each hammer 20 has a cylinder 22 in which there is a reciprocable ram 23 and a floating anvil 24 having cavities in their proximate faces defining a combustion chamber 25. The upper end of each cylinder constitutes a bounce chamber 26. In accordance with the invention, the bounce chambers 26 are interconnected by the conduit 27.

A fuel line 28 from the fuel injector pump 29 is common to the injection nozzles 30, one for each hammer 20, opening into a pressure balancing port 31 in communication with both combustion chamber 25. The ram 23 of one of the hammers 20 has a cam 32 exposed in a vertical slot 33 in the appropriate one of the cylinders 22. A link 34 pivotally interconnects the piston rod 35 of the pump 28 and the lever 36 pivotally mounted on the housing 21. The lever 36 includes angularly disposed arms 36A and 368 to be engaged and actuated by the cam 32 to operate the fuel injector pump 29. When the ram 23 carrying the cam 32 moves upwardly from its position shown in FIG. 1, the cam 32 engages the arm 36A to cause aspirating movement of the piston rod 35 and to position the arm 368 to be engaged by the cam 32 on the return of the ram 23 thereby to cause fuel-injecting movement of the piston rod 35 at the appropriate interval in the operating cycle,

The hammers are not further detailed as they may be, except for features necessary to their operation as a cluster, hammers such as Link-Belt Model 520 diesel hammers.

The hammers 20 support bottom straps 37 having vertical slots 38 in support of arms 39 of the drivehead 40 and in accordance with the invention the drivehead 40 is part of anvil means 41 common to the clustered hammers 22 and provided with concave seats 42, one for each hammer 20. An aligning pad 43 is interposed between the anvil means 41 and the floating anvil 24 of each hammer 20, each pad 43 having a convex portion 44 entrant of the appropriate seat 42 and a flat upper surface in engagement with the flat undersurface of the floating anvil seated thereon thus to permit transverse movement of each pad relative to the appropriate floating anvil 24. The drivehead 40 includes an upwardly disposed convex portion 45 fitting the concavity 46 on the undersurface of the anvil means 41.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that clustered hammers in accordance with the invention include phasing means such as the interconnected bounce chambers 26, the pressure balancing port 31 interconnecting the combustion chambers 22 and a fuel injector pump 29 common to the clustered hammers but operated by one of them.

It will also be apparent that the piledriver of FIG. 1 has phase compensating means since a downward blow on the anvil means 41 by a hammer causes upward movement of the seat 42 and the aligning pad 43 for the other hammer, if their blows are not simultaneous, without loss in the effectiveness of the later delivered blow.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, the driver has a plurality of diesel hammers 47 of the type having cylinders 48 that are open at their upper ends and these are clustered by forming the cylinders 48 in a body 49, each equally spaced from each other and from a larger axial cylinder 50 for the ram 51. The bottom end of the ram 51 has a concavity 52 fitting the central convex portion 53 of the anvil means 54 which includes an integral drive head portion 55.

Each diesel hammer 47 includes a ram or piston 56 and floating anvils 57 with their proximate end provided with concavities defining a combustion chamber 58. Each combustion chamber 58 has a fuel injection nozzle 59in a fuel line 60 from a common manifold, not shown. The anvil means 54 includes a flat marginal portion 61 in support of the flat bottomed alig' ning pads 62 which have concave seats 63 for the convex lower ends 64 of the floating anvils 57 ofthe hammers 47.

The ram or piston 56 of each hammer 47 includes a stem 65 extending beyond the upper end of its cylinder 50 and freely through a bore 66 in the flange structure 67 at the upper end of the axial ram 51 and integral therewith. Each stem 65 includes a convex shoulder 68 and threaded on the extremity of each stem 65 is a convex nut 69. Washers 70 are interposed between the flange structure 67 and the nuts 69 and shoulders 68, the washers 70 having concave faces in engagement with the convex portions of the shoulders and the nuts.

In this embodiment of the invention, the hammers are phased by the interconnection of their ram or piston rods 56 with the flange structure 67 and by the use of a fuel manifold common to all the hammers. In addition, additional phase compensation is ensured by the aligning connections between the stems 65 and the flange structure 67.

In FIGS. and 6, the lower parts of generally indicated hammers 71 of piledriver are shown. The hammers 71 include rams 72 and ram points 73. Each ram point 73 extends through a hammer base 74. Each ram is shown as having a projection 75 freely entrant in a transverse slot 76 in the other ram. As the hammers 71 may be conventional Vulcan 020 hammers for example, except for their mechanical phasing, their construction and operation is not further detailed.

The anvil means 77 includes a holder 78 having a diametrically disposed, vertical arcuate slot 79 in which a member 80 is centrally pivoted as at 81. The member 80 has concave seat portions 82 for the convex lower portions of aligning pads 83, one for each hammer 71 and having a flat upper surface engaged by its ram point 73 thus providing phase compensating means. The anvil means 77 also includes a drive head 84 having a concave upper face 85 for the convex lower portion of the holder 78.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, the lower portion of a pile driver in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is shown as having clustered hammers of the same type as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 with the corresponding parts distinguished by the suffix addition A to the appropriate reference numerals.

In this embodiment of the invention, the anvil means 86 includes a member 87 having upwardly opening cylinders 88, one for each hammer 70A and below its ram point 73A. The member 87 also has an axial downwardly opening cylinder 89 and all the cylinders open into an oil receiving chamber 90.

Pistons 91 are suitably sealed in each cylinder and each piston has a concave seat 92 for the convex lower portion of an aligning pad 93 whose flat upper surface is engaged by the flat end of the appropriate ram point 73A. A piston 94 is similarly sealed in the axial cylinder 89, the piston 94 having a convex end seated in the concave seat 95 of the drive head 96 of the anvil means 86.

The piledriver illustrated by FIG. 9 also has hammers that may be the same as those shown and described in connection with FIGS. 5-8 so that they will not again be described. Corresponding portions are distinguished by the suffix addition B to the appropriate reference numerals.

The anvil means 97 includes a member 98 having a central upwardly opening cylinder 99 having a central boss 100 in its bottom. A floating piston 10] has concave seats 102 for the convex ends of the aligning pads 103 whose upper surfaces are flat. The piston 101 has its margin arcuate, vertically considered, with reference to its center thus to remain sealed when it tilts. The member 98 has a convex bottom fitting the concavity 104 in the upper surface of the drivehead 105 of the anvil means.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings the hammers of the drivers are shown as phased and also as including means to compensate for their effect if the hammer blows are not simultaneous. Due to the last named feature, the hammers of a driver in accordance with the invention can be operated in any desired order.

In FIG. 10, there is shown a driver generally indicated at 106 and consisting of four hammers 107 clustered by means of a pair of channel members 108. Each hammer 107 is secured to an appropriate one of the channels 108 and the two members 108 are interconnected.

For convenience, the hammers 107 may be regarded as the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the driver 106 is, in effect, a combination of two of the drivers shown in those views, with the hammers of each such driver phased. While the hammers could be operated individually in any desired order or phased so that all operate together, it is sometimes advantageous that they be phased in pairs with each pair operating as a unit.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the invention provides drivers, each including any number of hammers with the hammer operation phased, with the effects of unphased operations compensated for, and combinations of those features, each embodiment desirably having means offsetting the effects of any misalignment between the axis of the driver and that of the driven element.

We claim:

1. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to compensate for the effect of said hammers if their blows are not simultaneously delivered, said compensating means including coacting and mating concave and convex portions between the pistons and the drivehead.

2. The piledriver of claim 1 in which the hammers are arranged as a plurality of vertically disposed units with the axes of all the hammers parallel, each unit containing at least two hammers.

3. The piledriver of claim 2 in which at least one unit is ec centric with respect to the axis of the anvil means.

4. The piledriver of claim 2 in which the hammers of each unit are phased.

5. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-'cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers, and means to compensate for the effect of said hammers if their blows are not simultaneously delivered, said compensating means including coacting and mating concave and convex portions between the pistons and the drivehead.

6. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plu- .rality of hammers with the axis of the anvil means between them, and intermediate aligning pads, one pad for each hammer and seated on a part of said anvil means, each hammer including a part seated on the appropriate one of said pads, each pad and one of the parts in engagement therewith including complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex, and each pad and the other part in en gagement therewith being transversely slidable relative to each other.

7. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the concave parts are seats in the upper surface of the anvil means and the convex parts are the lower ends of the pads.

8. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the convex portions are seats in the lower end of each hammer part and the concave portions are the upper end of the pads.

9. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the pads are supported by the anvil means for vertical movement in opposite directions in the event that the hammer blows are not simultaneous.

10. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the drivehcad is a separate part of the anvil means with the anvil means and the drivehead including portions in mutual contact, one concave and the other convex enabling the axis of said portions to be disposed angularly with respect to each other.

11. The piledriver of claim 10 in which the drivehead portion is concave.

12. The piledriver of claim 10 in which the drivehead portion is convex.

13. The piledriver of claim 6 and an axial ram including flange structure, the hammers are of the type including an anvil and a piston, a connection between each piston and the flange structure, and the anvil means includes a central portion engaged by the axial ram, the interengaged portions of the axial ram and the anvil means being complemental, one concave and the other convex to enable. the axes of the interengaged portions to be angularly disposed, the portions of the anvil means for the aligning pads being marginally of the central portion thereof.

14. The piledriver of claim l3 in which the connection between the pistons and the flange structure is a phasing con nection and includes complemental bearing portions, one con cave and the other convex.

15. The piledriver of claim 14 in which each piston includes a rod extending freely through the flange structure and has a shoulder below said structure, a nut is threaded on each rod extremity, and aligning bearings are carried by each stem on each side of the structure and in engagement therewith, and the shoulder therefor and the other bearing and the nut including complemental interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex.

16. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the anvil means intions being at both ends thereof.

18. The piledriver of claim 17 in which the holder has a diametrically disposed, vertical, arcuate slot, and the member is arcuate and is seated in the slot.

19. The piledriver of claim 16 and a liquid body contained in the holder and supporting the pad supporting portions.

20. The piledriver of claim 19 in which the holder has a plurality of upwardly opening, interconnected cylinders, one for each hammer, and each pad supporting portion is a piston in the appropriate cylinder.

21. The piledriver of claim 20 in which the drivehead is a separate part of the anvil means, the holder has a downwardly opening axial cylinder, a piston is within the axial cylinder, and the axial piston and the drivehead include complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex.

22. THe piledriver of claim 19 in which the holder has an upwardly opening cylinder underlying all of the hammers and containing the liquid body, and a floating piston is within the cylinder, the pad supporting portions being integral parts of the floating piston.

23. The piledriver of claim 22 in which the periphery of the floating piston is arcuate, vertically considered, with respect to the axis of the anvil means.

24. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, each including a ram portion and connections between the ram portions to effect hammer phasing comprising a projection on each ram, each ram also having a transverse slot receiving the projection of another ram.

25. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, each hammer having a bounce chamber, said hammers being of the pistoncylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers to ensure pile driving efficiency comprising coacting means effecting communication between the bounce chambers, said bounce chambers being otherwise closed.

26. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, each hammer having a bounce chamber, said hammers being of the pistoncylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers to ensure pile driving efficiency comprising a pressure supply line common to all hammers and including control means, one of the hammers including portions operating the control means.

27. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual Diesel hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them and with the hammers engageable with said anvil means, a fuel supply including a common port in communication with the combustion chambers of the hammers and fuel injecting nozzles in the common port, one for each hammer chamber. 

1. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to compensate for the effect of said hammers if their blows are not simultaneously delivered, said compensating means including coacting and mating concave and convex portions between the pistons and the drivehead.
 2. The piledriver of claim 1 in which the hammers are arranged as a plurality of vertically disposed units with the axes of all the hammers parallel, each unit containing at least two hammers.
 3. The piledriver of claim 2 in which at least one unit is eccentric with respect to the axis of the anvil means.
 4. The piledriver of claim 2 in which the hammers of each unit are phased.
 5. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers, and means to compensate for the effect of said hammers if their blows are not simultaneously delivered, said compensating means including coacting and mating concave and convex portions between the pistons and the drivehead.
 6. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of hammers with the axis of the anvil means between them, and intermediate aligning pads, one pad for each hammer and seated on a part of said anvil means, each hammer including a part seated on the appropriate one of said pads, each pad and one of the parts in engagement therewith including complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex, and each pad and the other part in engagement therewith being transversely slidable relative to each other.
 7. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the concave parts are seats in the upper surface of the anvil means and the convex parts are the lower ends of the pads.
 8. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the convex portions are seats in the lower end of each hammer part and the concave portions are the upper end of the pads.
 9. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the pads are supported by the anvil means for vertical movement in opposite directions in the event that the hammer blows are not simultaneous.
 10. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the drivehead is a separate part of the anvil means with the anvil means and the drivehead including portions in mutual contact, one concave and the other convex enabling the axis of said portions to be disposed angularly with respect to each other.
 11. The piledriver of claim 10 in which the drivehead portion is concave.
 12. The piledriver of claim 10 in which the drivehead portion is convex.
 13. The piledriver of claim 6 and an axial ram including flange structure, the hammers are of the type including an anvil and a piston, a connection between each piston and the flange structure, and the anvil means includes a central portion engaged by the axial ram, the interengaged portions of the axial ram and the anvil means being complemental, one concave and the other convex to enable the axes of the interengaged portions to be angularly disposed, the portions of the anvil means for the aligning pads being marginally of the central portion thereof.
 14. The piledriver of claim 13 in which the connection between the pistons and the flange structure is a phasing connection and includes complemental bearing portions, one concave and the other convex.
 15. The piledriver of claim 14 in which each piston includes a rod extending freely tHrough the flange structure and has a shoulder below said structure, a nut is threaded on each rod extremity, and aligning bearings are carried by each stem on each side of the structure and in engagement therewith, and the shoulder therefor and the other bearing and the nut including complemental interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex.
 16. The piledriver of claim 6 in which the anvil means includes a holder and the pad supporting portions are movable relative thereto in opposite directions if the hammer blows are not simultaneous.
 17. The piledriver of claim 16 in which the anvil means includes a member pivoted at its axis, the pad supporting portions being at both ends thereof.
 18. The piledriver of claim 17 in which the holder has a diametrically disposed, vertical, arcuate slot, and the member is arcuate and is seated in the slot.
 19. The piledriver of claim 16 and a liquid body contained in the holder and supporting the pad supporting portions.
 20. The piledriver of claim 19 in which the holder has a plurality of upwardly opening, interconnected cylinders, one for each hammer, and each pad supporting portion is a piston in the appropriate cylinder.
 21. The piledriver of claim 20 in which the drivehead is a separate part of the anvil means, the holder has a downwardly opening axial cylinder, a piston is within the axial cylinder, and the axial piston and the drivehead include complemental, interengaged portions, one concave and the other convex.
 22. THe piledriver of claim 19 in which the holder has an upwardly opening cylinder underlying all of the hammers and containing the liquid body, and a floating piston is within the cylinder, the pad supporting portions being integral parts of the floating piston.
 23. The piledriver of claim 22 in which the periphery of the floating piston is arcuate, vertically considered, with respect to the axis of the anvil means.
 24. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, each including a ram portion and connections between the ram portions to effect hammer phasing comprising a projection on each ram, each ram also having a transverse slot receiving the projection of another ram.
 25. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, each hammer having a bounce chamber, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil means, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers to ensure pile driving efficiency comprising coacting means effecting communication between the bounce chambers, said bounce chambers being otherwise closed.
 26. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them, each hammer having a bounce chamber, said hammers being of the piston-cylinder-type and being engageable with said anvil, and means to effect the phasing of said hammers to ensure pile driving efficiency comprising a pressure supply line common to all hammers and including control means, one of the hammers including portions operating the control means.
 27. In a piledriver, anvil means including a drivehead, a plurality of individual Diesel hammers with their axes parallel and with the axis of the anvil means between them and with the hammers engageable with said anvil means, a fuel supply including a common port in communication with the combustion chambers of the hammers and fuel injecting nozzles in the common port, one for each hammer chamber. 